Tile and method of mounting the same



April 2, 1940, c. J. S'II'ANLEY- TILE AND METHOD OF MOUNTING THE SAME Filed Jan. 27, 1939 IN VENTOR 46/ RNEYS BY [770/460 cf 5/0/7/6 S a? PM Patented Apr; 2, 1940 PATENT OFFICE,

" 2,195,905 TILE AND METHOD OF MOUNTING THE SAM Charles J. Stanley, Chicago, Ill., assignor of onehalf to John T. Welch, Dowagiac, Mich.

Application January 27, 1939, Serial No. 253,047

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tiles and method of mounting the same.

The main objects of my invention are: 5 First, to provide a novel tile for surfacing walls and the like.

Second, to provide a tile of the type described which is attractive in appearance, inexpensive to produce, and easy to mount on a wall or other surface.

Third, to provide a tile of the type described and improved means for quickly and securely applying the same to a panel or other foundation.

Fourth, to provide a composite tile which has a highly finished surface of thermoplastic material intimately bonded to a backing panel or plate to strengthen and stiffen and provide the desired thickness for the same.

Further objects relating to details and economies of my invention will definitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined in the claims.

A structure embodying the features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view illustrating a wall orfoundation panel partially covered with tile in accordance with the embodiment of myinvention. I

Fig 2 is'an enlarged fragmentary view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating details of the tile construction and the method of securing the same to the wall panel.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line 3'-3 ofFig. 4, illustrating a modified embodiment of tile in accordance with my invention and a further method of securing the same to a foundation panel.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating tile applied in. accordance with the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 3.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates a foundation panel of a suitable fibrous building board. which is nailed or otherwise secured to studding 2 and which has a plurality ill of holes 3. arranged in uniformly spaced longi 'tudinal and transverse rows, as illustrated in Fig. 1, these holes being adapted to receive the fastening members for the tile of my invention, as will be hereinafter described.

The reference numeral 4 indicates the tile of my invention, which in the illustrated embodiment are rectangular in outline, although the shape, dimension, and disposition thereof may 1 vary depending upon the surface to be covered.

Each tile consists of a uniformly thick outer shell orlayer 5 of artificial. or urea formaldehyde resin which is intimately bonded by molding under heat and pressure to an inner backing plate or panel 6 of waterproof fibrous material. Each plate 6 has a plurality of headed drive screw fasteners 7 rotatably mounted therein and projecting rear- Wardly therefrom, which fasteners are adapted for driving insertion in holes, 3 to secure the" tile to foundation panel l,-the fasteners rotatingand threading themselves into the holes. Wi'ien assembled in this manner, the joints between adjacent panels are filled with a suitable pointing cement 8 to complete the wall surfacing, which by reason ofthe characteristics of the thermoplastic resin material forming the outer shell 5 has a highly polished surface very-resistant to wear or deterioration and one which may be readily cleaned by simply wiping with a damp cloth or maybe flushed or washed down where circumstances permit. I

In forming the individual tile, the backing plates or panels 6 are provided with suitable countersunk holes t to receive the headed drive screw fasteners 1. With the said fasteners disposed in these'holes, as'illustrated in Fig. 2, the plates have applied thereto a uniform layer of urea formaldehyde resin in powder form, which is then subjected to heat and pressure in a suitable mold to cause the resin tofuse and become plastic, thus forming the dense,,highlytpolished,

artificial resin shell 5 having an intimate, fused or impregnating bond at-its joint with the fibrous The molding is carriedon at a. 2

backing plate. temperature at approximately 375 F. and a pressure ofapproximately 500 lbs. per squareinch for asuitable length-of time topermit the aforesaid -metamorphosis and fusing to take place.

Upon. cooling, the tile are removed from the mold and, using a suitable tool, the inner surface Ml of shell 5 is cracked at H adjacent the drive screw fasteners 1 to free the latter for rotation when the tile are mounted on the panel i.- Insome cases, if desired or necessary, the heads of the fasteners may be covered with a suitable film to shield the samefrom the resin shell and prevent adherence of the latter thereto.

It may be desirable in the interests of economy of material to omit a portion of the shell 5 at the rear side of the tile, such a modified construction being illustrated in Fig. 3 and having the rearwardly disposed sidewalls HI and relatively short inwardly projecting flanges If at the rear of the tile. In other respects, the production of the tile by molding under heat and pressure is the same.

holes l5 punched therein. The periphery of. each hole is slitted to form a plurality of resilient fingers l6 which are adapted to frictionally engage the tile securing fasteners I! to prevent withdrawal of the tile to which they are secured. The diameter of holes i5 is somewhat less than the diameter of the fastener ll, so that upon insertion of the latter, the fingers H5 will be defiected rearwardly out of the plane of the sheet metal panel i4, thereafter gripping the fastener to resist movement thereof. In this embodiment, the fasteners may be similar .to the headed drive screw fasteners illustrated in Fig. 2, however I have found that the spring fingers i6 take an effective grip even on a smooth surfaced pin, such as is illustrated in Fig. 3. If desired, to render the frictional effect even more positive, the surface of the pin 21 may be roughened in any appropriate manner for engagement with the spring fingers.

It is apparent that a sheet metal backing plate such as ust described may be utilized to just as great advantage in the case of a tile having a continuous or complete molded shell 5, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in embodiments which are very practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tile for surfacing walls and the like, comprising a backing plate of waterproof fibrous material having an exterior facing .shell of urea formaldehyde resin intimately bonded thereto by molding under heat and pressure, said shell covering the front, sides, and rear of the backing plate. and a plurality of headed drive screw fasteners rotatably mounted on said tile, said fasteners being embedded in said backing plate and projecting rearwardly from the same and through said shell at the rear of the tile, with the heads thereof abutting said shell at the front of the tile, said fasteners being drivingly engageable with a foundation panel to secure the tile thereto, the shell being fractured around the fasteners to free the latter for driving rotation.

2. A tile for surfacing walls and the like, comprising a backing plate of waterproof fibrous material having an exterior facing shell of urea formaldehyde resin intimately bonded thereto by molding under heat and pressure, said shell covering the front, sides, and rear of the backing plate, and a plurality of headed drive screw fasteners rotatably mounted on said tile, said fasteners being embedded in said backing plate and projecting rearwardly from. the same and through said shell at the rear of the tile, said fasteners being drivingly engageable with a foundation panel to secure the tile thereto, the shell being fractured around the fasteners to free the latter for driving rotation.

3. A tile for surfacing walls and the like, comprising a backing plate of waterproof fibrous material having an exterior facing shell of urea formaldehyde resin intimately bonded thereto by molding under heat and pressure, said shell covering the front, sides, and rear of the backing plate, and a plurality of headed fasteners mounted on said tile, said fasteners projecting rearwardly through said shell at the rear of the tile and being engageable with a foundation panel to secure the tile thereto.

4. A tile for surfacing walls and the like, comprising a backing plate having a facing shell of urea formaldehyde resin intimately bonded thereto by molding under heat and pressure, and a plurality of headed drive screw fasteners rotatably mounted on said tile, said fasteners pro jecting rearwardly from the backing plate and being engageable with a foundation panel to secure the tile thereto.

5. A tile for surfacing walls and the like, comprising a backing plate of waterproof fibrous material having a uniformly thick external shell of artificial thermoplastic resin material molded thereon under heat and pressure, and a plurality of headed drive screw fasteners rotatably mounted on said tile, said fasteners being embedded in said backing plate and projecting rearwardly therefrom with the heads thereof abutting j said shell.

6. A wall construction comprising a foundation panel having a plurality of holes therein and a tile having a plurality of drive screw fasteners rotatably mounted therein and lockingly engaging said holes, said tile comprising a backing plate having the fasteners rotatably embedded therein and adapted to engage said holes, and a facing of urea formaldehyde for said plate secured thereto by molding under heat and pressure.

'7. A wall construction comprising a foundation panel having a plurality of holes therein and a tile having a plurality of fasteners mounted therein and lockingly engageable with said holes, said tile comprising a backing plate carrying said fasteners and a facing of artificial resin molded to said plate under heat and pressure.

8. A wall construction comprising a sheet metal foundation panel having a plurality of 7 holes therein whose periphery is slitted to provide resilient spring fingers adjacent the holes, and a tile having a backing plate of fibrous waterproof material and a facing of urea formaldehyde resin molded thereon, said backing plate having headed fasteners embedded therein and projecting rearwardly therefrom for engagement in said holes to deflect said fingers from the plane of said panel, said fingers frictionally engaging said'fasteners to prevent displacement of the tile from the panel,

9. A wall construction comprising a sheet metal I foundation panel having a plurality of holes therein whose periphery is slitted to provide resilient spring fingers adjacent the holes, and a tile having fasteners projecting rearwardly therefrom for engagement in said holes to deflect said fingers from the planeo f said panel. said fingers frictionally engaging said fasteners to prevent displacement of the tile from the panel.

10. A wall construction comprising a sheet metal foundation panel having a plurality of holes therein whose periphery is slitted to provide resilient spring fingers adjacent the holes, and a tile having a backing plate and a facing of molded artificial urea formaldehyde resin intimately bonded thereto by heat and pressure, said backing plate having fasteners secured thereto and projecting'rearwardly of the tile for engagement in said holes and to deflect said fingers from the plane of said panel, said fingers frictionally engaging said fasteners to prevent displacement of the tile from the panel.

CHARLES J. STANLEY. 

